In team sports, optimising the playing surface is critical for enhancing player performance and reducing injury risk. Whether it's football (both soccer and American football) or rugby, players and coaches alike understand how different field types—whether natural grass, artificial turf, or hybrid surfaces—can significantly impact both performance and safety. But how can these variables be effectively measured and managed? Enter surface periodisation guided by Raw Stadia’s platform and traction metrics.
Understanding Surface Periodisation
Surface periodisation involves varying the surfaces on which athletes train to improve performance, reduce injury risk, and help players adapt to changing match conditions. Similar to physical training periodisation, which balances intensity, volume, and recovery, surface periodisation manages the interaction between athletes and various field types to optimise performance.
In a recent study, we explored the effect of surface traction on agility and player perception among female soccer players. The research demonstrated that different surfaces—ranging from artificial turf to natural grass—not only impact a player’s speed and agility but also their perception of comfort, grip, and fatigue.
Key findings from the study include:
A field with moderate traction provided the best performance outcomes and the highest levels of player comfort.
Worn natural grass surfaces resulted in more slips and slower times, increasing injury risk.
The question for coaches, players, and field managers remains:
HOW CAN WE QUANTIFY THESE SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS TO OPTIMISE PLAYER PERFORMANCE? AND SAFETY?
This is where our Rotational Traction Tester (RTT) and traction metrics become essential.
What is the Rotational Traction Tester (RTT)?
The RTT, developed by Raw Stadia, is an advanced tool for measuring the traction characteristics of sports surfaces. It delivers precise, objective data on the rotational forces that occur between a player’s footwear and the playing surface—particularly important during quick turns or cuts, key moments in sports like football and rugby.
The RTT measures two critical parameters:
Stud Force: The pressure required for a boot’s studs to penetrate the surface, providing insights into how well the surface supports movements like stopping, turning, and accelerating.
Rotational Traction: The peak torque experienced when a studded footplate rotates on the surface, is a key indicator of player stability and the risk of rotational injuries, such as those affecting the knee or ankle.
By using RTT data, field managers and sports scientists can gather crucial insights into how surfaces interact with player footwear and the athletes themselves, informing decisions about training load, footwear selection, and injury prevention.
How RTT Data Can Be Applied
Maximising Performance by Matching Surface and Session Intensity
RTT data reveals that agility performance peaks on surfaces with balanced rotational traction and stud penetration. By measuring these surface characteristics before training sessions, coaches can match high-intensity drills with surfaces that enhance grip and support push-off movements, reserving less stable surfaces for lower-intensity sessions. This ensures optimal performance without risking injury due to inappropriate traction.
Improving Player Safety with Pre-Session Assessments
The RTT is particularly useful for identifying surfaces that may pose a higher injury risk. For instance, surfaces with low stud penetration, such as dense natural grass, can result in more slips or incomplete outsole engagement, leading to instability during quick movements. Using RTT data, coaches can make adjustments to session plans or suggest appropriate footwear to reduce injury risk.
Adapting to Varying Field Conditions on Match Day
Field conditions can change rapidly due to factors like weather, wear, and maintenance practices. The RTT allows teams to adapt to these changes in real time. If a surface shows lower-than-expected rotational traction, players can adjust their footwear or warm-up routines to improve stability and performance.
Informed Footwear Selection
In our study, participants were restricted from changing their footwear, which limited their ability to engage fully with the surface. In real-world scenarios, RTT data enables coaches and players to select appropriate footwear based on surface conditions. High stud force may call for longer studs, while surfaces with lower traction benefit from footwear designed for quick lateral movements and acceleration.
Optimising Recovery and Rehabilitation
Surface periodisation, supported by RTT data, is also a valuable tool for managing recovery and rehabilitation. After intense training or during injury recovery, athletes can benefit from lower-traction surfaces that reduce biomechanical load. The RTT helps identify these surfaces, ensuring players train under the right conditions at the right stage of their recovery.
Case: Club R
The Future of Surface Management and Player Performance
As sports science continues to advance, tools like the Rotational Traction Tester (RTT) will play a pivotal role in optimising both performance and safety. By incorporating RTT data into surface periodisation plans, coaches can strategically rotate surfaces to meet the specific needs of their athletes—whether it's enhancing agility, managing fatigue, or minimising injury risk. The combination of surface periodisation and advanced surface testing tools like the RTT gives teams a competitive edge, providing data-driven insights that improve player safety, confidence, and overall game-day performance.
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